these are not the new experiences i want.

There are some things that I never thought I would do.

But poor Harley (Petfinder listing) developed a really nasty infection after his surgery to get neutered.

So besides antibiotics three times a day, pain pills two times a day, and pills for sedation as needed, I spend at least ten minutes a day holding an ice pack between his legs.

Or, to be more accurate, its actually a bag of frozen peas.

Still.

feeding the homeless.

I've been wanting to post for a while about all the things that I learned through our Crazy Love book study, but some things are just harder to articulate, you know?

One thing the book focuses on is just how insane and extravagant God's love is for us, and how extravagant our response should be. This is a theme over the last couple months, this idea of being extravagant in my response to God.

I came away from the book ready to do something big, waiting for God to show me what that is. Until I was reminded of the power of considering each day, and the tasks to be completed that day, as an opportunity to love God. I think our lives are rarely made up of big things, but rather small decisions and small chances to love God and love others.

Sometimes I feel this overwhelming desire in my life to matter. To know that God has used me to do something different, to make someone's life better or easier, to point someone back to Him. I get so caught up in having one single, grand life purpose that I forget that at the end, our lives are more a summation of lots of little things, that, when taken as a whole, point to our Creator.

So the last few weeks, I've been on a journey to figure exactly what that looks like on a daily basis. I've been trying to get out of my comfort zone just a little, and see what happens when God meets me there.

Today I joined my friend Teresa and her daughter Heather to serve breakfast at a soup kitchen. And it was not nearly as scary as I thought it would be.

harley.

This is Harley.


He's a 1 1/2 year old Australian Kelpie (we think). He looks kind of like a small German Shepherd. I don't think this picture does him justice, because he is absolutely gorgeous.

(And can I pause right here to say, what's up with the name thing? First Scooter/Skeeter, and Harvey/Harley?)

He's pretty energetic, though I'm hoping he'll calm down a bit as he settles in. He was just neutered yesterday, so I haven't been letting him run off energy in the yard, as I would normally. He seems to like chewing things - my hand, my laptop cord, my furniture. I'm trying to distract him with a bone.

Dakota and Harvey aren't too sure yet what to think of him - he definitely wants to play with them, and they like to ease into things a little bit.

help - i need tomato recipes.

My friends Dave and Mary dropped off a bag of tomatoes on their way out of town - tomatoes that needed to be picked from their garden and that they wouldn't be able to use since they would be gone for a week.

But, I need ideas for ways to use them. I don't like raw tomatoes, so I only buy them for a specific recipes, and usually that means one or two! I've got at least dozen - any ideas? Can you freeze tomoatoes?

from the mouth of a child.

I spent the afternoon at the beach with Heather, Nathan, and Seth.

Nathan: Miss Kristy, do you have a boy living at your house?

Me: No. But someday, kid.

more tears.

Its been a while since I cried at a something on TV (see here and here), so I was long overdue:

Steven Curtis Chapman and family on Good Morning America

big project.

Last week, while dropping donations off at the CHKD thrift store, I noticed this dresser. Its solid wood, lots of storage, and it was $50. So I bought it.


I'm going to paint it, or stain it, or something. Something dark, because I love dark furniture, and I'll replace the knobs. I'd also like to do something kind of different to it, to dress it up a little - maybe something kind of design on the top, or something on the drawers. Something with words.


I really have no idea what I want to do with it yet, so I'm going to live with it for a little while until I decide.

link change.

In order to keep the address of my blog consistent with its name, tomorrow I'm going to change the URL to slidingdownthestairs.blogspot.com.

For all two of you who read this on a regular basis, if you're using a feed reader, please update your links.

quick change.

I bought this entertainment center when I first moved into this house, two years ago.


I love it - its the perfect size, and I think the color is beautiful. There's just one problem.

Harvey was very into chewing things when I first got her, and she chewed these knobs.


Every now and then I think about buying something to replace them, but I never remember that plan when I walk into Home Depot.

But yesterday morning, as I was sitting in my bathroom (don't laugh - I do some of my best thinking there, along with the shower), I realized that this ugly cabinet has big silver knobs that would definitely work on the entertainment center.


I hate this bathroom, and it will only exist as long as it takes me to save up the cash to have it gutted and a new, nicer, bigger bathroom put in its place (with a walk-in closet). So, I stole two of the knobs for the entertainment center.


Not a huge difference, but at least these don't come with teeth marks.